Friday’s Group 1 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie has attracted a small but select field, with no fewer than five elite-level winners set to contest the 2000-metre weight-for-age event.
A total of 10 horses were paid-up for the race, however, Whangaehu has subsequently been withdrawn.
Among the field of nine are Waitak, El Vencedor, Dark Destroyer, La Crique and Legarto, all already winners in top company.
Australia will be represented by Gavin Bedggood’s G3-winning six-year-old Kingswood. He will jump from barrier six under Rory Hutchings. The Kiwi jockey won the race back in 2014 aboard the Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained Soriano.
Bedggood has hatched a plan to win a G1 with Kingswood in New Zealand, with a view to him standing at stud in the country.
The pre-race favourite is Waitak, who has the services of Craig Grylls. The last-start G1 Mufhasa Classic runner-up will begin from stall eight.
Melbourne-based Kiwi jockey Michael Dee, who returns home for a working holiday, will partner the Stephen Marsh-trained El Vencedor. That pair will break from the outside gate (nine).
Simon and Katrina Alexander’s star mare La Crique (Masa Hashizume) has barrier seven, while Ken and Bev Kelso’s Legarto (Ryan Elliot) will take her place in stall six.
Elsewhere, gun filly Well Written has drawn gate five for the G2 Auckland Guineas (1600m), where she will be handled by Matthew Cartwright. The Marsh-trained daughter of Written Tycoon is unbeaten in three outings and was most recently seen winning the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 8.
In October, Yulong purchased a 50 per cent share in Well Written and the filly races in the stud’s green and white silks.